Zabbie's Additions to Goosebumps
by Zabbie Q
Summary: A few minor additions to the first film.


Just a few minimum additions I would've made for the first film to make some aspects work better.

* * *

During_ the 1st Act_

Aunt Lorraine opened one of the boxes marked _Dad's Stuff_. "Oh," she sighed with a sad smile. "Nick's monster collection."

Zach looked from sorting through his box, and he swallowed as his aunt pulled out the different treasures: Dad's DVDs from the _Universal Horror_ franchise, the werewolf mask Dad bought for Halloween, the figurine of Boris Karloff's Frankenstein monster...

"Oh, I remember this!" his aunt cried. "I can't believe Nick held onto this." She withdrew a thin paperback — a _Goosebumps_ book with a picture of ghostly transparent tennis shoes on a welcome mat. The title at the bottom read: _The Ghost Next Door_.

Mom smiled. "It was Zach's favorite when he was little. He begged Nick to read it every night for a month."

Zach stared at the wrinkled cover. The memory washed over him, engulfing his mind: his six-year-old self sitting in his bed while Dad read a few chapters about Hannah Fairchild, the bored, lonely girl who thought her next-door neighbor was a ghost. He could hear his father's voice, vibrantly acting out the tense scenes or softly narrating at the spooky bits. Even when Zach was old enough to read it on his own, he always heard the words the way Dad had said them.

"Zachy also liked that creepy puppet, didn't he?" Aunt Lorraine remembered. "Nappy or something."

"Nick tried to get him a toy version of the _Goosebumps _dummy, but by the time he found out where to get one, Zach had already moved onto _Harry Potter_." Mom looked upward, shaking her head. "Zach even wrote a long letter to R.L. Stine saying how he wanted to write scary stories like him someday. He cheered so loud when he got a response. He didn't even care that it was a form letter," Mom beamed, but trailed off as she caught sight of Zach's face.

Zach cleared his throat. "Yeah, I was a weird kid." His interest in _Goosebumps _had disappeared once he outgrew elementary-level books, and his desire to write his own ghost stories gave way once he discovered his skill as a baseball pitcher.

As his aunt and mother moved onto other boxes, Zach stuffed the old kid's book back with Dad's things and carried the box up to his room.

* * *

_During the Midpoint before Zach suggests the crossover book_

Stine drove the Wagoneer through the wreckage of downtown Madison. All four passengers gazed in shock at the smoking ruins, frozen people and sparking power lines.

"I don't remember that dumb puppet being like this in the books," Zach muttered. "Couldn't we just toss him in a woodchipper?"

Beside him, Champ tore himself from his own window to give Zach a look. "Have you even _read_ the end of _Bride of the Living Dummy_?" he squeaked. "You can't kill him in the books!"

"Or out of the books," said Hannah with a grimace.

"And I've had Slappy a _long_ time," Stine said grimly from behind the steering wheel. "You shoulda seen the things that _didn't_ get printed."

Champ leaned forward to address Stine. "He's not going to enslave us, is he?" he asked nervously.

"He'll take a few slaves," said Stine, barely turning his head from the road. "_They'll_ be the lucky ones."

Champ sank back into his seat, too shocked even to whimper.

Zach turned toward Stine. "You know this thing's mind. Can't we reason with him?"

"Dare to dream," Hannah said sadly, flopping back against the passenger seat.

"I've tried to fix him plenty of times," Stine exhaled, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles seemed to pop against his skin. "I tried to give him a girlfriend in _Bride of the Living Dummy _— didn't work. I tried to curse him to do good deeds in _Slappy's Nightmare_ — didn't work. I tried to make him a hero in the _HorrorLand_ series — didn't work. The only thing that will stop him is to lock him in one of his books, and thanks to you" — he glared over his shoulder at Zach — "all of those are gone." With a final huff, Stine returned his attention to the road.

Zach shook his head, turning to his window. "Can't believe I used to look up to you," he muttered bitterly.

The road ahead grew more clogged with debris, and at last Stine had to slow the car to a tenuous stop, and the four all spilled out, gawking at the wreckage.

* * *

_During the 2nd Half, possibly in grocery store but can be changed to happen in graveyard_

Hannah made a sharp turn down the baking aisle, still shaking her head as if she were mentally rehearsing everything she wanted to say to her father once it was safe to argue with him again. Zach glanced over his shoulder to see Stine and Champ hadn't emerged from the soda area yet. Taking advantage of the momentary privacy, he quickened his pace to stay abreast with Hannah.

As they passed boxes of the Pillsbury Dough Boy advertising Funfetti Cake, he said, "I don't know what I was thinking. There's _way_ more going on here than in New York."

Hannah glanced at him, but then her eyes furrowed, and she pointed to his forehead.

"What?" Zach asked.

"You cut yourself," she said gently.

He didn't feel anything, but he pretended to look concerned. "Is my face messed up?" he joked.

"Yeah, big time." She licked her thumb and wiped his forehead. "You look exactly the same." Her blue eyes twinkled.

He grinned at her, and his heart pumped as if he had just finished running. "So," he said, hoping he sounded cool and charming, "is it always this exciting in your life?"

"Actually, we managed to live in this town for three years," she replied. "That's a new record for us."

"And you're able to sleep down the hall from a library full of deadly abominations?"

"Actually, I sleep on the first floor," she quipped.

Zach gave a soft chuckle. A girl who climbed Ferris wheels, snuck through cemeteries at night, lived with Abominable Snowmen and murderous lawn gnomes. Was there anything she couldn't face?

"So, what does that make you to the monsters?" he asked.

"Somebody who helps Dad lock them back up when they escape." She gestured uncomfortably, rolling her eyes. "Ever since my earliest memory, they've never liked me. Especially Slappy."

"I can't see him liking anyone," he said dryly.

Hannah's mouth grimaced into an upside-down crescent. "He hates being locked up, and he hates being ignored. And" — she paused to sigh — "I just happen to be Dad's child and get to live outside."

"That is… some messed-up sibling rivalry."

"Tell me about it," she said wryly. "And since he refuses to be good, he stays locked up, so the cycle continues. Dad's given him a lot of chances. And that's why we've had to move so much."

"Are any of the monsters good?" Zach asked. He snapped his fingers, remembering a certain cover with ghostly tennis shoes. "What about the Ghost Next Door?"

The sad look left Hannah's pretty blue eyes, and a smile returned. "You liked _The Ghost Next Door_?" she asked, as if it was the cutest thing ever.

Zach rolled his shoulders. "When I was a kid, I might've read it a whole lot. An awful lot. You know, way back in third grade." He grinned sheepishly. "It was one of those things my dad and I did together."

Hannah leaned a little closer. Warmth like spring beamed from her grin. "That's my favorite, too."

Zach grinned — man, she was cute.

A glass bottle clinker at the end of the aisle. They both tensed.

"Did you hear that?" Zach said softly.

* * *

_During the auditorium scene_

Zach and Hannah stepped into the auditorium, looking for Stine — and the author wasn't alone. Slappy stood on the writing desk on the stage, bent over the Smith Corona.

Zach grabbed Hannah's elbow to keep her from bolting forward. He put his finger to his lips, and he crept forward, crouching low. Hannah followed suit.

"'_Everyone in the high school joined forces to stop Slappy and his monsters_," the dummy read upside down. He straightened. "Hmmm, not your worst," he said too sweetly. "But it needs a little something extra, Papa."

Zach's ears perked at the sound of the keyboard, and Stine gaped in horror as Slappy magically made the Smith Corona type by itself.

"'_Should Stine succeed and finish the book_,'" Slappy dictated, "'_all of his characters would be s__ucked into its pages __— every single last monster wo__uld be trapped forever._'"

Zach stopped in his tracks — every last one…

Realization dawned on Stine's face at the same time. He flung himself forward, trying to stop the keys — and Slappy's foot slammed the top of the case onto his fingers. Stine screamed in pain.

"Dad!" Hannah charged for the stage. "You keep away from him!"

Zach pounded after her, right on her heels.

Slappy only looked amused at the two of them. He released the Smith Corona, allowing Stine to stagger back.

"Long time no see, sis," he mocked over Stine's pained cries as the teens scrambled toward the steps. He turned his attention back to the typewriter, and it swung open as if by an invisible hand. Before Hannah could reach the stage, the paper rose and floated into the open book, joining the rest of the hastily typed leaves.

"Stop!" shouted Stine, reaching for the book, but Slappy kicked it off the table. It fell to the floor and shut.

Hannah grabbed Stine's arm and pulled him back, but Stine shielded her with his broken hands.

"We'll have plenty of time to catch up later, Hannah," Slappy continued. "Then the fun'll _really_ start."

Now on the stage, Zach caught sight of the prop axe in the door of _The_ _Shining_ set. He grabbed it and made for the dummy — and the axe hit empty air as the lights flickered. Slappy disappeared.

Zach whirled around, scanning the darkness.

Another flash of light drew his attention to the top of Stine's abandoned chair, where Slappy balanced perfectly on the backrest. Father and daughter gaped at the puppet, but now Slappy ignored them both. His head slowly turned to face Zach.

"Word of advice: stay out of this, little boy," he rasped. "I've been in the most stories, and that makes me the strongest."

Zach gritted his teeth. "Yeah, well, your books are overrated." He swung again.

Once again, blackness surrounded him, and the axe sliced through open space. The lights snapped back on, and no trace remained of the puppet.

Zach gripped the fake axe, panting. He turned, gazing at Hannah as she wrapped her father's fingers with his own ascot. Ice crept up his neck.

Slappy's addition to the book rang in his ears. Even if they finished this project and saved the town...

...Hannah would be trapped in a book forever.

With Slappy.

* * *

_At the Ferris wheel_

"_As the monsters converged, Zach closed his eyes... and the monsters were swallowed back into the world... of paper and ink_," he said, trying to search for the next key, hitting it hard enough, and ignoring the crunching, cackling sounds on the ground below.

"Can you type any faster?" Champ whimpered.

Zach spun from the page to glare at him. "This is my first time using a typewriter!"

"Keep going!" urged Hannah.

"Look, they're coming!" Champ shrieked. "What are we going to do?!"

"Finish it, Zach!"

"_One by one... the monsters disappeared back into the book... never to be seen... again. The End!_"

He tore the page from the Smith Corona so fast, the typewriter's bell chimed as if in protest. Hannah handed him the book, and Zach tucked the final page into the spine. Like magic (it probably was), the paper stuck to the rest.

"What happens now?" asked Champ, watching as Zach flipped the volume over.

"We're about to find out," replied Zach. His thumb fiddled with the latch, but he glanced at Hannah and paused.

Hannah's eyes dilated. "What are you waiting for?" she cried. "The town needs us, Zach!"

"C'mon, Zach!" urged Champ, gripping his arm.

Zach swallowed, glancing from the book to Hannah. "Look, Hannah— " he started to say.

But a raspy voice spoke instead. "Hey, sis."

The three of them jolted.

Slappy stood on the edge of the car, holding onto the frame. He leered at them in turn before he focused his attention on his foster sister.

"Forgot I could do that, didn't you?" he taunted. "No wonder Papa prefers you. You have an IQ low enough to tolerate him, haha!"

"Back off!" retorted Hannah, yanking the book from Zach's hands. She held it up, giving the puppet a warning look.

Instinctively, Zach grabbed her wrists. "Let's just think this through," he said quickly.

Slappy's dark eyes slid to him with a click. "Got a boy toy now, do you? Bet Papa _loved_ that," he sneered before he addressed Zach. "So, what's your deal, Dumb Face? Trying to join our family without Slappy's permission? Naughty, naughty." He shook a finger at him. "Tell ya what. Hand me that book, and I'll give you my blessing. I've always wanted a brother — a _real_ brother."

Hannah scoffed and tried to open the book, but Zach gripped her wrists.

"Let go, Zach," said Hannah without tearing her eyes from Slappy.

The puppet smirked at her. "Either way, we're going to be spending a lot more time together, baby sister. It can be either a dream or a nightmare." He held out his wooden palm. "Give your big brother the book like a good little ghoul, and I'll let your boyfriend live."

"Forget it!" she snapped. "I'm not going to let you hurt Dad or anybody else."

Zach glanced at her, considering her words: Stine trapped below them in the Blob, his mother and the kids at the high school, Aunt Lorraine...

Then he got an idea.

With a quick grab, he tugged the book from her hands. "You want the book?" he said, glaring at the dummy. "Here you go."

The momentary gleam of victory on Slappy's face disappeared once he realized what Zach meant, but before he could teleport away, Zach raised the book and swung it with all the strength he used for a baseball bat. Slappy yelped as it cracked against him, and he plummeted, right into a pile of advancing monsters.

"I never understood how he got so popular," said Zach, looking over the edge.

"He has a lot of fangirls," said Hannah. "Now, open the book— "

But she was cut off as the praying mantis leapt onto the Ferris wheel.

* * *

"...And also over there," grinned Stine, pointing.

Zach turned and stared. Hannah smiled at him at the end of a short hall.

"I may have written one more book," said Stine, pulling a bound volume from his briefcase.

Zach wasted no time. He broke into a run and swept her into his arms, kissing her before he pressed his cheek against hers. She squeezed him warmly and snuggled against him.

When he finally pulled back, he scanned her radiant face, not entirely convinced he wasn't dreaming. "You're real," he grinned. "You came back!"

"I had to," she beamed in that cute, jesting way. "You owe me a dance."

A _fwoop!_ erupted behind them, followed by a startled gasp from Stine and a clank. The two turned to see Stine kicking the lid of a trashcan over to smother the flame he had set to Hannah's book.

Zach wrapped an arm around Hannah. "But… I thought all the monsters would be trapped forever," he said, looking between the two.

Stine's eyebrows quirked behind his glasses into an expression of feigned confusion. "I don't see any 'monsters' here," he said. "Do you?"

Zach's grin stretched. "Nope."

Hannah ducked her head a little, embarrassed and pleased. Zach took her hand.

"Let's go."

She squeezed his hand, and they started off into the next hallway.

* * *

A/N: This was partly inspired by the advice given by K.M. Weiland on her blog, _Helping Writers Become Authors_. Specifically, she maintains in "How to Choose the Right Antagonist" that the antagonist ought to be directly opposed to the protagonist and mirror his story arc thematically. "As such, the _right_ antagonist will always be directly opposed to your protagonist. He won't stand off to the side of the road, taunting the protagonist or throwing rocks at him. Nope, he'll be the guy right smack in the _middle_ of the road, pointing a gun straight at your protagonist's head and telling him to stand down or it's curtains. ...Alternatively, if the antagonist is not directly opposed to your protagonist in the conflict, then it doesn't matter how thematically pertinent he is. His impact on the story simply won't be as vital, because the protagonist's personal discoveries won't be directly connected to overcoming this external antagonist."

In the film, Zach and Slappy barely interact. Slappy's interest is entirely on his revenge against Stine whereas the focus of Zach's primary emotional arc revolves around Hannah and his late dad. (Does Slappy even know Zach's name in the film?) Granted, my additions still leave something to be desired, but I was trying to add tweaks which could be inserted without taking up much screen time or drastically rewriting the film.

However, if I were to overhaul the plot to make Zach and Slappy proper mirrors for each other, I would make the following changes. A) Instead of dealing with a Dead Dad subplot, Zach's parents are divorced. B) Zach comes to Madison to spend the summer with his father and his new family, and they live next door to Stine and Hannah. (Aunt Lorraine can be the dad's sister instead of Gail's because she's a good character to keep, and her and Stine's romance is cute.) C) Zach has lingering resentment toward his father for the divorce and how quickly he remarried; this mirrors Slappy's resentment toward Stine and Hannah. D) Champ could possibly be Zach's new step-brother. As they work together, their growing relationship is a foil to Slappy's rejection of Hannah. E) Before _Slappy's World_, nearly every time Slappy lost, it involved siblings banding together. The one time he wins (_Son of Slappy_) happens because a sister betrayed her brother. Ergo, giving Zach a sibling fits thematically with him being in a Slappy story. F) To make the conflict more personal to Zach and set him specifically against Slappy, Slappy kidnaps his father (either as a hostage or a slave or both). G) Whereas Slappy continues to seek revenge against Stine, Zach forgiving his father for seemingly rejecting him allows Zach to get to the place where he is emotionally ready to defeat Slappy.


End file.
